19. Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia - Food from these three countries are suited to the cool and moist northern climate. Soups are a hit, and pickled herring is also pretty popular. To many, it's an acquired taste.

17. Bulgaria - The Balkan nation shares some recipes with Greece and Turkey. Dishes normally feature dairy products and vegetables. Tripe soup is also popular, made from the muscle wall of a cow's stomach.

15. Czech Republic, and Slovakia - Goulash and dumplings are highlights from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Food is said to be pretty simple, but dishes like Vepro knedlo zelo should still be enjoyed.

13. Ireland and UK - Despite their divisions, the UK and Ireland have pretty similar food. Ireland does better beer, naturally, but British dishes like shepherd's pie and Sunday roast are to be savored.

5. Greece and the Republic of Cyprus - Greek food is pretty great, and neighboring Cyprus also boasts some impressive cuisine. Souvlaki's sensational, but stuffed grape leaves and flatbread shawarma are also worth a taste too.

2. France - Missing out on the top spot is France, home of brie, flaky pastries, and cassoulet. French cuisine is not just delicious, it's influential too. French food is even on UNESCO's list of “intangible cultural heritage.”

European cuisine: worst to best countries for food

Eat your way through Europe

There’s so many reasons we love to travel. In addition to seeing new sights and giving us a break from work, holidays give us the exciting chance to try new food. Cuisine is the gateway into a country’s culture and history. Spanish paella has ancient roots, and teaches us about the country’s Muslim history. Meanwhile, modern pizza was invented in Naples, and reflects the region's rich Neapolitan culture.

European food has changed constantly since the fall of Rome, and countries have influenced each other in many ways. For example, croissants aren’t French, they came from Austria, according to historical reports. What’s more, fish and chips isn’t even a British dish! It’s believed the dish was carried over by Jewish immigrants from Spain and Portugal.

With that said, Europe is defined by its different dishes and gastronomic cultures. Spain is heavily influenced by its gorgeous marisco, while the UK is perhaps best known as a melting pot of the world’s finest food. After all, it’s said that chicken tikka masala wasn’t born out of India, but Great Britain.

Come explore the food of Europe—there’s gorgeous Dutch desserts, perfect French pastries, strong German sausage, and great Greek grub. There’s no better way to explore Europe than to first understand what they eat. Without further ado, here are Europe’s finest cuisines, ranked from worst to best, according to The Great Courses. Dig in!